Should I switch to Sail

[andy k]

I have spent my whole life owning powerboats. I am going to purchase a boat in the near future either a 320 sea ray sundancer or a sailboat of equivalent size or larger. please keep in mind I know nothing about sailboats and have no Idea what to look for when looking for a boat. The only sailboat I am looking at so far is a 33 hunter in the newer style

I have a family of 5 and we like to spend most weekends on the boat. We are a family leisure type family so we do not need the race sailboats.

I would like to know if there is no wind what speed will the boat cruise at off of just engine power, what will be the range?

What can I expect for the average speed during the average day.

What if you get caught in a storm, can you power through it like a power boat or do you use the sails?

We boat out of sturgeon bay and would like to be able to cross Michigan and travel as much as we can on the sailboat. what is the expected range I should travel in a day under different conditions.

I am used to going places at 30 MPH in a straight line but I cant stand the MPG and dont like how much powerboats pollute.

and last thing is a 32 ft sailboat equivalent to the same size in a powerboat for handling storms, rough water and space.

 

[Tim R.]

First of all you need to answer a question:

Is it the destination or journey to get there that appeals to you? Most sailors it is more about the journey. They love the art of sailing. The powerboaters I know always brag about all the places they made it to in one weekend. Sailors brag about how great the sail was getting to that one special place and back.

Most of your questions are dependant on you, your boat and your family.

You and your SO need to start sailing with some experienced folks. You both need to be on board(pun intended). It can be difficult for you to get used to heeling. Take some lessons locally and I would suggesst starting with a much smaller boat before sinking(no pun intended) a bundle of money into a 32ft. boat. My first boat was 10'. 35 years later I am shopping for a 40-50' boat.

When we are out cruising we usually plan on a 3-5hour sail to the next destination. This gives us a range of 15-25nm. If the wind falls off or changes direction we will often pick a different destination to suit the conditions.

I would say switch to sailing but don't expect it to be easy.

 

[Ed Schenck]

I grew up with power also, racing and skiing. How I wish I had discovered sailing before I was 30. After thirty-eight years I am still learning. What an amazing sport.

I spent eight years on Lake Erie. We were sailing to Canada when a 40' powerboat wouldn't leave the dock. Even if they did they would have had no fun with being beaten to death by the pounding. With sailing it is the journey as much or more than the destination.

One major difference that could sway a decision is the amount of work. Getting a sailboat ready for an outing and then putting her away is a lot of work. Still I did it a couple times a week if only for a one hour sail. It is that much fun.

 

[DannyS]

This ought to be interesting.

 

[Johnb]

Power boats of the same length have much more space than sailboats.

We had dock mates with power boats and I would always envy their ability to go places for a day that I would plan as a week's excursion. On the other hand even if I motored all the way I would burn maybe 3 gallons of diesel to their 30 - I use about 0.6 gal per hour to move a 37 foot boat at just over 6 knots. Sailboats are built to have easily driven hulls.

For peace of mind I figure any well built sailboat is pretty safe. They are built to recover from the mast being forced into the water! My previous boat was a 23 ft with an outboard and had the problem that in really tough conditions the propeller spent too much time out of the water. My current boat powers serenely through the same conditions.

Finally, there is the wonder and beauty of sailing.......

 

[larryw]

Learn to sail on a small boat and most of your questions will be answered. Try to learn on a 32 footer, with your family along, will likely result in divorce and estrangment from your kids. Don't buy something, go out and think it will all come to you cause you had a powerboat before. This is a different critter altogether, and Mother Nature will slap you down hard if you don't know what you're doing out there.

 

[Scott B]

Andy, of course we're going to tell you you're better off in a sailboat

I have a newer Hunter 33. Typically out most weekends in Georgian Bay and have done week - 2 week trips up to the North Chanel.

Crusing speed under power is 6.5 knots, same under sail if right wind conditions, range will depend on how long you're willing to stay out on the water. 5 hours would be 30 nM to 10 hours 50-60 nM. Of course you may not be able to go straight line so distance covered may be less. A sailboat becomes a lot about getting there rather than as power is the destination.

A family of 5 would fit depending on age. We have two kids, one of each, and in their teens. It becomes crowded on board longer than a weekend, mainly because one sleeps on the settee, which is issues with where to leave gear, dropping the table every night. Your used to a 26 ft. so would probably be more room in the sail. Sailbaots will have a narrower beam, but more room aft than power without a large engine and drives. ( sail engine is under the companion stairs.) We have had extended trips with another couple which works out fine, as they are typically lesser maintenance and more self reliant than kids.

I also like the layout of the H33 with the inmast furling, all lines to the helm and I typically can handle it by myself.

Sailboats can handle storms, it just takes longer to get off the water.

You could easily handle a boat that size. You would want to take some lessons on sailing.

Oh, and as far a gas consumption, ours is deisel and may use $ 200 a month, maybe, depending on whether there's wind or not and we go out regardless and anchor most nights out. I usually spend more on gas for the dinghy than the big boat.

 

[andy k]

My family has a little sunfish I occasionally use. We enjoy the destinations since there are so many neat places to visit on the north east shores of Michigan and in door county. We however love the journey also. I would love to own a sailboat, its just our weekends are 2-3 days long and I want to make sure I can visit places further than 20miles and not just visit places within 20 miles of our marina. I would get board of those locations really quick. If I can travel at 5-10 mph then I can still visit some of the places we love to go on the long weekends. If time did not exist I would not have mixed feeling and I would be sitting a sailboat for sure.

Also how much does age matter when looking at a sailboat? I know powerboats run into problems with the hull rotting, engines going boat, etc. The age of a boat does not bother me but when you start to have problems with major things then it puts the family at risk when you are sitting in the middle of lake Michigan in a storm.

 

[Bad Obsession]

Another thought is to take a sailing class. It can teach you the basics. Another idea is to go out sailing with a friend that has a boat. If you don't have a friend that sails check around your local marina. Sailors tend to be laid back and easy going and love getting other sailors into the sport. Talking to some of them could give you in site and also maybe a day out learning the ropes.

It is a hard question to answer but a lot of it lays in what you are interested in. If you like the journey, the sound of water rushing past your hull, and the connection to other sailors from now and from the past then sailing is great. If you just want to get there in a hurry then sailing may not be for you.

Sailboats do good in rough weather. Some are built heavier than others and they take the chop differently. Most sailboats of modern era can motor close to hull speed (this is a formula that determines how fast a boat can theoritically go before it planes). You are generally looking at 5.5 to 6.5 knots for a lot of boats. It doesn't get you there in a hurry but you get there and probably see more a long the way. Also take into account that most sailboats don't burn as much fuel when under power. My Catalina 30 burns .5 gallons an hour and with a 20 gallon tank my range for being under power alone is about 40 hours of motoring.

This is a good place with friendly people. Keep asking questions as there isn't a bad question!

Good luck either way.

 

[Tim R.]

Another major difference is the noise and smell. Sailing is very easy on the senses. I hate motoring for those reasons and will always try to sail when possible.

BTW, I grew up sailing and power boating. As a kid I liked the go fast boats. Then I got into windsurfing. Go fast without a motor. Cool!

 

[shemandr]

Try a captained charter. No real pressure on you. The family gets to see what its like.
7 kts. is about the speed a 30 to 35 sailboat will go - power or sail. Most sailor take the sails down for storms and power. The gusts can be hairy enough with no sails up. The daily range varies by how long you want to stay out. I think 35 miles is enough for most days - that's roughly 5 hours. I've done over 70 during daylight but used all of it. Operating 24 hours you could go 200 miles. The range could be 200 miles or more powering. We use about a gallon an hour and I believe carry 30 gallons.
You'll like pulling up to the fuel dock a lot more in a sailboat.

 

[Tim R.]

Good point about the charter Andrew but explain to me how you go 200nm in 24hrs. That would put you over 8kts average.

BTW, I use about 40 gals of diesel a season. May 1st to Thanksgiving.

 

[Roy10289]

All other differences aside,for my family the most difficult adjustment was for my wife to accept that a sailboat must heel while sailing. She is still uneasy about this and no amount of scientific explanation can really calm her. If your family is like this,it will severly limit where and when (weatherwise) yoiu can sail. Take some lessons on smaller boats and introduce them to sailing slowly and with a friends boat or a rental. Otherwise you spend a lot of money and effort on a sailboat that you can hardly ever raise the sails on when your family is with you.

 

[andy k]

how long will it take to get the sails up and get set to go out, and how long will it take to put everything away. we would not plan on driving more than 40 miles in a day in a powerboat or a sailboat. what would be a good starter boat(easy to operate) for a family who will plan on crossing Michigan and occasionally will get stuck in storms and heavy seas. The boat should be in the 30-40 ft range I do not want to spend more than 80k

 

[hman]

Been there....sort of

I was a sailor and racer in my younger days, then marriage and kids came along and we got a power boat because the kids wanted to ski and wakeboard as well as fish.

Now that the kids are grown and "almost" out of the house, my wife and I are back to sailing and loving it. Sure, the power boats go in circles around us and can get from point "A" to point "B" in 1/4 of the time, but there is something to be said for harnessing the wind and going where you want without it costing an arm and a leg in fuel. The sound of the rigging and the bow wave is very soothing. As others have said, sailing is all about the journey it's self, not the destination.

We have a small trailer sailer, an Oday 23 that sails at about 4-6 knts (6-10mph) unless the breeze is really light. Our Honda OB pushes the boat at those same speeds when the wind dies. There is that "sensation" of speed with a sailboat on a reach from the apparent wind from the sails that does make it seem like you are going fast though.

That may be slow compaired to your power boat, but then again, I only use about 8 gal of fuel for the entire sailing season here in the CA mountains opposed to the 30 to 40 gal of fuel we used on an average weekend for the ski boat. There is that "sensation" of speed with a sailboat on a reach from the apparent wind from the sails that does make it seem like you are going fast though.

As for stability, we've been out on 30knt plus days with lots of chop and never had a problem. The motion of a sailboat is with the water, not against it like you can be in a power boat so the ride is much smoother.

It's really a matter of personal choice. For us, even if money was no object we would still chose sail over power.

 

[andy k]

My wife hates the sunfish, her dad has a 21 ft hunter and she only likes it when that boat is level. :cry: , however I love when the boat heels, I guess once she gets used to it she will be fine

 

[tommays]

You will have to also look into on going costs as a 40' sailboat could well cost double a 30' in upkeep

 

[DannyS]

The answer to your last questions are, as always, "it depends". Are you just going out for a daysail? If so, then unhook the shorepower, warm up the engine, slip the docklines and you're off. Once out of the marina, less than 5 minutes to set the sails. If however, you're heading out for a weekend or longer, you'll have to stow gear, food, add water to your tanks etc. You'd have to do this with a power boat. Putting sails away takes a bit longer but I can usually put the boat to bed within an hour or so, half an hour if just day sailing.
We have a 35 footer and would have no hesitation sailing all over the Great Lakes, but I have a well found boat. There are smaller boats that can do the same thing and there are larger boats that I wouldn't leave the marina with.

 

[andy k]

what are some of the costs. and how much will it cost each year?

I grew up with powerboats all the way up to 40ft and we got caught in many bad storms where small craft advisorys were present and even a gale warning a few times and waves were crashing over the bow and the engines were hard at work. and that was 620 hp, I know that sailboat hulls are completely different but is a 29 hp engine enough to make it through 5-10 ft waves?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

how long will it take to get the sails up and get set to go out, and how long will it take to put everything away. we would not plan on driving more than 40 miles in a day in a powerboat or a sailboat. what would be a good starter boat(easy to operate) for a family who will plan on crossing Michigan and occasionally will get stuck in storms and heavy seas. The boat should be in the 30-40 ft range I do not want to spend more than 80k

A boat with a furling main takes maybe 30 seconds to unfurl or furl at the end of your sail; same with any jib furler. Takes 10 minutes with a standard main and cover.

Safety - personally, I feel safer in a sailboat - won't turtle as easily as a powerboat; not totally dependent on an engine if/when engine problems occur. Powering a sailboat through 10 ft waves is easier, far more comfortable and safer than in any power boat even with a small engine. You can only go slow in 10 fters regardless of what boat you have.


Generally, the difference between a sailor and a power boater is night and day. Rarely does a power boater just go out for a few hour ride.